Utah Railway

The Utah Railway (reporting marks, Utah) is still based in its original headquarters located near Martin, Utah
and reached its 100th birthday in 2012 having been incorporated in
early 1912. Today it continues to carry on in much of the same way as
it was originally intended, hauling coal. The railroad dates back to
the early 20th century and while today its traffic is still
predominantly based in the movement of coal it also moves other freight
such as aggregates, petroleum products, cement, brick, and chemicals.
In 2002 the Utah Railway as no longer a privately owned shortline when
it was purchased by shortline conglomerate Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.
Despite this takeover, because of the Utah's rich history it has been
allowed to retain its original grey, red, and yellow livery.

A quartet of Utah's SD40s including #9004, #9005, #9009 and #9010 sit between assignments at the road's yard in Provo, Utah on June 12, 2004.

The Utah Railway has its beginnings dating back to January 24, 1912 when it was incorporated by the State of Utah, originally as the Utah Coal Railway Company but later shortened to just the Utah Railway in May of that year. By 1914 the Utah had completed its main line stretching from Provo to a connection with the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) called Utah Railway Junction and south, to Hiawatha, Utah. In total the Utah operated roughly 100 miles of railroad, which included its main line between Provo
and Hiawatha. It also operated three branches; the Spring Canyon
Branch which stretched nearly four miles from a connection at Jacobs
northwesterly to Spring Canyon; the Mohrland Industrial Spur which
stretched south form Hiawatha to Mohrland, a distance of three miles;
and finally the Wattis Industrial Spur, which stretched over two miles
from Wattis Junction to Wattis.

Over the last century little has changed on Utah Railway. However, beginning in 1981 things have changed somewhat on the railroad. That year the Utah Railway tore down its engine house in Provo.
Then in 1995 the railroad requested, and received, permission to
abandon both its Wattis Industrial Spur and Spring Canyon branch,
totaling about six miles. Finally, the merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads in 1996 greatly expanded the Utah's operations. The following year in 1997 the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, after receiving trackage rights between Denver and Stockton, California contracted with the Utah Railway to operate is local and switching operations between Ogden and Provo. To meet the demand for this new service the Utah hired forty more employees and leased an additional thirteen diesel locomotives.

Led by an SD40-2 an empty string of coal hoppers is bound for the Wildcat mine during August of 2002. Much of the Utah's system is located in remote and rural regions of the state.

Later, in September of 1999 further expansion for the Utah Railway occurred when it took over the 25-mile long Salt Lake City Southern Railroad, headquartered in Murray, Utah. In 2002 the railroad was sold to the Genesee & Wyoming
family of shortlines, although it continues to wear a version of its
original livery, much of the reason because of its long and storied
history. Today the Utah Railway hauls more than 90,000 annual carloads
and operates over 400 miles of track although only 45 of those are
actually owned (the rest are leased from the BNSF Railway and Union
Pacific).

Utah Railway Locomotive Roster

Builder

Model Type

Road Number

Notes/Date Built

Quantity

Alco

RSD4

300-305, 307 (#307 was Ex-CNJ)

1952-1953

7

Alco

RSD5

306

1955

1

Alco

RSD15

400-403

1959-1960 (Ex-AT&SF)

4

Alco

RSD12

600-601

1956 (Ex-C&O)

2

EMD

GP38-2

2000-2009

Ex-D&RGW, Ex-SP, Ex-SSW

10

EMD

GP40

3000-3001

Ex-B&O

2

EMD

SD50S

6060-6064

Ex-Hammersly Iron (Australia)

5

EMD

F45

6606-6608, 6613, 9013

1969 (Ex-GN)

5

EMD

SD40M

9001-9011

1969-1970 (Ex-C&O, Ex-CRR, Ex-WM, Ex-L&N)

11

EMD

SD45-2

9012

Ex-AT&SF

1

EMD

SD45

9140-9150

Ex-SP

11

MK

MK50-3

5001-5006

Ex-SP, Ex-MK Demonstrators

6

The same train as pictured above is now navigating the Price Canyon at Kyune, Utah. While the railroad may be rural it offers some spectacular scenery as noted here.

Of note, the railroad also owns the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad,
which itself serves over 30 customers between downtown Salt Lake City
and Draper, Utah (about 25 miles away).
The railroad currently uses mostly EMD diesel locomotivess in the way
of second-generation Geeps and six-axle SDs. It also operates the only road-switchers Morrison-Knudsen built which were meant to compete against EMD and General Electric, the MK5000C (now classified as MK50-3s). Considering the
railroad’s success over the past 90+ years it will likely continue to
serve under the Genesee & Wyoming flag for years to come.